Quote of the Day

Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy (R-NE) resigned on Saturday after news reports that he made thousands of phone calls to four different women not his wife on a state-issued cell phone.  One of the women was Dr. Theresa Hatcher, who had a long-term relationship with Mr. Sheehy.  ("I thought I was the only one," she told the press, "Apparently I was grossly mistaken."  But no, impressive as that quote is, that's not today's winner, though it's a very close second.)When asked if she was still in contact with the now-former Lt. Governor, she refreshingly acknowledged that she had spoken with him only two weeks ago, digging his political grave a little deeper.  She said --

"Politicians can lie. Doctors don't lie."

Coming for a family of doctors, as I do, I heartily admire the sentiment and think that there's an underlying kernel to it, stemming from the Hippocratic Oath. 

Alas, the problem gets tricky when it comes to doctors who are politicians.

After all, I was immediately reminded of current Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) who is a staunch anti-abortion Republican ("All life should be cherished and protected. We are pro-life" his website states), although phone records recently were made public from transcripts in a 2001 divorce proceeding that he had pressured his now ex-wife into having two abortions. 

But then, the court transcripts also showed that he had sex with women who worked for him and that patients claimed he had sex with them, as well, seemingly in exchange for writing drug prescriptions.  (Both actions of which, shockingly, I know, are violations of state ethics laws.)  So maybe he just got confused and thought he had taken a Hypocrite Oath.

Anyway, the point is that while I do admire Dr. Hatcher's statement and sentiment, I have a feeling that it might fall more under the whole "woman scorned" thing, rather than official AMA standard.